


Las Vegas, Paris, and Croydon Airport Visitors’ Centre.

by oswin42



Category: Cabin Pressure
Genre: Ableism, Asperger Syndrome, Aspie!Martin, Autism, douglas being a dick, happy end
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-06
Updated: 2015-08-17
Packaged: 2018-04-13 06:42:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4511844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oswin42/pseuds/oswin42
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Douglas always teases Martin with anything he can find. Now he's find something new to tease him with but it makes Martin think and discover some new things about himself.</p><p>added warning for ableism, but there is a happy ending.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. chapter 1 - LAS

**Author's Note:**

> Aspergers syndrome is different in everyone. This is how I see Martins aspergers.

Martin hated hen parties. Loathed them. They had just flown 10 women to Las Vegas (LAS). Ten different perfumes and Carolyn and Douglas were wearing something as well. They had wine (smell number 13) and they had brought pizzas on board (smell number 14). If that wasn’t enough they had the sun in their eyes most of the trip and If that wasn’t enough he hadn’t slept well and Douglas had come up with an even more hateful game than usual. Just when Douglas finally had shut up Arthur had come in with their cheeses (more smells). When they finally landed he wanted nothing more than go to his hotel room and curl up in bed. That’s when more bad news came. He was sharing with Douglas again. He clenched his fist and was quiet while Douglas complained. They took a cab to the hotel and that’s when he found out their hotel was one of the casinos. He walked past the slot machines

(Ding, ding, ding,) and towards the lift.

(Ding, ding, ding we have a winner!) He pressed the button for his floor

(Ding, ding, ding,) and waited

(Ding, ding, ding,) Arthur came towards him

(Ding, ding, ding we have a winner!) “Skip, you forgot your key card.”

(Ding, ding, ding,) “Skip?” Arthur sounded worried.

(Ding, ding, ding,) Martin looked up

(Ding ding ding we have a winner!) “Thank you Arthur” he managed to say, glad the lift doors opened.

(Ding, ding, ding,) he quickly walked in and slammed on the close door button.

(Ding, ding, ding,) finally the doors closed with just him and Arthur. The music from the pink panther was the playing on the background.

“Oh I love this music!” Arthur exclaimed and started humming with it.

“Quiet!” Martin snapped. Arthur stared at Martin. Skip didn’t usually yell. The lift doors opened and Martin walked out and to his room. He felt like his mind was going to explode.

  

_“I’m a plane” the five year old ginger boy yelled as he ran around with his arms spread. He made airplane noises and then made a sharp turn. He ran through the park while his parents and siblings were sitting on a picnic blanket a few meters away._

_“Martin!” The mother called “come eat your sandwich!”_

_Martin ‘flew’ to his parents and sat down and ate his sandwich hungrily._

_“You can’t be a plane” his father said._

_“But I want to fly. I want to be a plane” he insisted._

_“That’s called a pilot, Martin” his older brother told him._

_“What’s a pilot?” Asked Martin curiously. He always asked questions._

_“It’s the person flying the plane Martin, dear.” his mother said with a loving smile._

_Martin’s eyes lit up “I wanna be a pilot!”_

 

There was a knock on the door. Martin was laying in the foetal position wrapped into his duvet and was shaking a little. He was quietly reciting facts about their Lockheed McDonnell 312. It calmed him down and helped with the repetitive behaviour he enjoyed in moments like this. There was another knock, more urgent this time.

“Martin?” Came Douglas’ voice “Martin are you alright?”

He mustn't see this. He’ll laugh.

“J-just a moment” Martin managed to say as he slowly unwrapped himself from the duvet and picked his jacket off the floor. He opened the door.

“Martin are you alright?” Douglas asked immediately after Martin had opened the door

“Yeah fine” Martin lied while hiding his shaking hands behind his back.

“Your hair’s a bit… messed up.” Douglas said, grinning.

Martin stuttered, trying and failing to come up with a convincing lie.

“I don’t even want to know. Carolyn seems to be in a good mood and is paying for food so you better get ready quickly before she changes her mind. Arthur is already trying to convince her to go to a show with him.”

“I-I am just going to-going to take a shower.” Martin said and grabbed his overnight bag before heading to the bathroom.

“Martin...”

Martin ignored Douglas and locked the bathroom door. He heard Douglas close to door and decided a shower wouldn’t be a bad idea.

He sat down next to Arthur. Arthur was chatting happily about the show he was planning to go see and even Carolyn was in a good mood. Douglas looked slightly worried at Martin while listening to Arthur. Martin was quiet as he played with his food more than he ate it.

 

_It had been a particular bad day for eight year old Martin. The kids at school had teased him when he had brought a book on planes with him. Right from school he curled up under his blanket. It was his way of dealing with it when his head started to hurt._

_“Marty love.” his mother's voice came as she opened the door a little._

_“Go away!” He yelled and wrapped the blanket tighter around him._

_“Marty dear.” his mother came into the room “come have a cuppa.”_

_“Leave me alone.” he said quietly._

_His mother sat on the edge of the bed and put her hand on his shoulder. Martin cringed and pulled away. It hurt to him. His mother silently got up and left. He didn’t come out of his bed for supper._

_“Martin.” his father's voice came._

_“Martin.” his father said less kind when he didn’t reply._

_“Martin, you really hurt your mother's feelings.”_

_Martin pulled his pillow over his head and turned away from the door. The door closed seconds later and he was left alone. The next morning, when he came into the kitchen the family pretended nothing happened._

 

“Martin?” Douglas voice came as he felt a shock in his arm. Martin pulled his arm back with a small cry.

“Martin are you alright?” Douglas sounded more worried. It had only been his hand on Martin's arm.

“I just need a good night of sleep.” he answered defensively and got up. Douglas raised his eyebrow but said nothing.

“We leave in 36 hours” Carolyn reminded him as he started to walk away.

“Yes, yes.” he answered and walked almost ran to the lift.

 


	2. LAS (part 2)

Douglas walked around the floor of the casino. He did some card counting but made sure he wasn’t noticed. He didn’t fancy getting caught again. He watched Martin sitting at a slot machine. He spotted the earbuds in Martins ears. Martin was rocking up and down slightly. It wasn't more than two inches either way but enough for Douglas to notice. He made a mental note of it and walked to the poker tables.

 

They left the next morning. They were flying over American mainland and playing a word game (famous people whose first and last names start with the first letter). Their passengers were deep asleep.

“Charlie Chaplin.” Martin said.

“Doris Day.”

“Uh… Lindsay Lohan.”

“Peter Parker.”

“Hey! He’s fictional!” Martin protested.

“Never said they couldn’t be fictional.”

“Uh uh” Martin stuttered and started moving his right hand. Thumb to forefinger. Thumb to middle finger. Thumb to ring finger. Thumb to pinkie. Thumb to ring finger. Thumb to middle finger. Thumb to forefinger and so on. This went on for about ten seconds, just as long as it took him to relax. Douglas hadn’t noticed this before but when he looked back Martin did this more often.

“Are you going to count things next?” Douglas teased

Martin looked at his hand and stopped quickly, turning red.

“You do know what they call that in medical terms, don’t you?” he continued with his usual smug grin plastered on his face.

Martin looked away. This ways perfectly normal. Douglas was just teasing him. Just like the boys at school.

“They call it stimming.” Douglas said when Martin didn’t reply.

“It’s perfectly normal!” Martin argued “everyone does something like it!”

“If you have autism, that is.” Douglas said smugly “do you have autism Martin?”

“I do not.” Martin growled.

“Hello chaps.” Arthur said as he opened the door.

“Ah Arthur.” Douglas grinned.

“I brought coffee-Skip are you alright?”

“Yeah I’m fine Arthur. Thank you for the coffee.”

“You don’t look alright Skip. I can tell. I learned that at the Ipswich course.”

“I’m fine Arthur, really.”

“But Ipswich.” Arthur argued.

“Maybe they were wrong!” Martin snapped again.

That silenced Arthur. He left the flight deck mumbling to himself.

“That wasn’t necessary at all Martin.” Douglas told him.

“Oh shut up.”

Douglas raised an eyebrow but kept silent for a while.

 

_“Freak! Freak! Freak!” the kids around him chanted while 10 year old Martin hugged the library book and held his hands over his ears. He had tried kissing one of the girls in his year. She had pushed him away and told the whole year. Martin was confused. He didn’t understand why the girl pushed him away or why that was so funny to everyone else. He was ten and it was about time he got a girlfriend. That’s what his grandfather had said after all._

 

“Martin.” Douglas’ voice dragged him out of his memory “Martin.”

“What is it Douglas?” Martin managed to sound calm though he was doing the same movement with his right hand again. Thumb to forefinger.

“More coffee?”

Thumb to middle finger.

“I’m good.”

Thumb to ring finger.

“Stimming again, are we?”

Thumb to…

His movements stopped immediately when Douglas noticed. He attempted to hide his hands, but there wasn’t anywhere to hide them and he ended up laying them on his lap.

“Oh I don’t mind’ Douglas said with his usual grin “by all means keep stimming”

Martin clenched his fist but said nothing.

“Tea chaps?” Arthur asked as he came in with two cups of tea.

“Arthur!” Martin exclaimed happily, glad he was no longer alone with Douglas.

“Oh wow Skip you’re happy again that’s good!”

“Arthur we were playing another game and we were wondering if you knew any.”

“But I’m no good at word games Skip, you know that.”

“I was wondering something as well, Martin, about your stimming.” Douglas came between.

“What’s stimming?” Arthur asked, immediately curious.

“It is,” Douglas started “the tics autistic people have.”

“Oh there was this boy at my school who had autism!” Arthur exclaimed, glad to know about something.

“He knew loads about trains but no one ever wanted to listen to it and he got really angry when anyone touched him. He hit me once.” his face fell a little but then he smiled again “but it was kind of my own fault. Because I’m a clot and all.”

“I DO NOT have autism” Martin argued. “I’m not some rain man person. I can look after myself and I’m socially not horrible.”

“Because committing the whole flight manual to memory is totally not autistic” Douglas answered sarcastically.

“But you didn’t say what game” Arthur came between, for once saying the right thing at the right time.

“Famous people whose first and last name start with the same letter.” Martin told Arthur with a smile.

“Oh there must be loads.” Arthur said.

“Harry Houdini!” Arthur suddenly exclaimed after a moment of silence.

“And Steven Segal and that tennis bloke that mum likes. Boris something”

“Boris Becker?” Douglas asked impressed.

“Yes him!”

“That’s quite a few.”

“More than you named” Martin said slightly smug.

“Oh I could list at least ten, no twelve.”

“Prove it.”

“Do you want to bet Martin?”

“No just prove it.”

“The brie.” countered Douglas calmly.

“Fine! The brie, but no fictional ones then.”

“Alright. Twelve I said, didn’t I?”

“Yes.”

“Herbert Hoover, Janis Joplin, Marilyn Monroe, Tina Turner, Ozzy Osbourne, Kim Kardashian, Howard Hughes, Gloria Gaynor, Ernie Ells, Joe Jackson, Danny Devito, Steven Spielberg.” Douglas said with a grin “I believe that’s twelve of them.

“Fine” Martin sulked.

“That’s loads Douglas!” Arthur said happily “and loads more than me.”

 


	3. FITTON

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another 3 days later therefor chapter 3.

“Fitton Tower, this is Golf Echo Romeo Tango India.” Martin said calmly into the radio

“Welcome back to Fitton guys.” Karl replied.

“Karl” Martin warned him.

“Fine. Golf Tango India, cleared for landing.”

“Roger that.”

“Want me to land her captain?” Douglas asked “you look... tense.”

“Fine! But you’ll do all the post landing checks as well.”

“Alright.”

 

Martin deplaned almost as soon as the passengers were off board. He didn’t do his post landing checks and he didn’t make sure Douglas did them. He walked right to his van and drove home. At home he curled up in his bed with his thick duvet. He was shaking even worse now and even the pressure on his body didn’t help enough. He rocked up and down almost violently, trying to calm down. Much later he fell asleep, exhausted.

 

Eleven hours later he was woken by his alarm. He felt miserable but he got up anyway. He had a job to do and he needed the money. He dragged himself out of bed. After a large cup of coffee and some cereal he dragged himself to his van. He couldn’t seem weak when he was going to move stuff. He psyched himself up and drove to his job. When he arrived it turned out to be a psychologist's office.

 

_Twelve year old Martin was sitting in the office of the psychologist from his school. He was holding a broken model of a Boeing 737 and his face was stained with tears. The psychologist was talking to him but he didn’t talk back. He just wanted to go home and curl up in his blanket._

_“Martin. Talk to me.” she said sternly._

_He didn’t say anything._

_“Martin. Look at me.” she tried._

_He didn’t._

_“Martin.” her voice was annoyed now “you are twelve years old now, don’t act like a child.”_

_“I want to go home.” he finally told her._

_“Your parents will be here soon. You’re in a lot of trouble.”_

_“I want to go home.” he repeated._

_They were both silent until Mr. and Mrs. Crieff came into the office as well. His mother was upset and his father had that look that meant no airplane books and desserts for a while._

_“Martin...” his mother said softly “you can’t just hit someone.”_

_‘but mum...” he tried. His father interrupted him._

_“Quiet now Martin. Let the grownups talk.”_

_“He broke my airplane!” Martin yelled, trying to make sure they would know his side of the story._

_“Martin.” came his father's voice coldly “I said quiet. Go wait in the hallway.”_

_Defeated, Martin got up and went to the hallway. Once more silent tears were running down his face_

_“Martin Crieff.” his father yelled when they got home. Martin doubted if the safety of his bed was worth more punishment but decided against it._

_“I’m sorry father” he said in a quiet voice._

_“Two weeks grounded” his father told him._

_For Martin being grounded was different. It wasn't not going out of the house; it was no airplane books, no desserts, no candy and no allowance._

_“Now get out of my sight.” his father continued. Martin didn’t need to hear that twice and hastily made his way to his bedroom. He curled up in his bed and held his stuffed animal._

 

The door opened “ah Mr. Crieff, I’m glad you’re on time.” the woman said with a kind smile. “Please come in.”

Martin followed her inside to a surprisingly normal office. It wasn’t scary like the one in his school or with a futon like he’d imagined. There was a desk and three comfy chairs. In one corner there were a bunch of boxes.

“It’s just those” she told him as she pointed to the boxes “but would you like a cup of tea first?”

Martin doubted for a second but then spotted the jammy dodgers next to the kettle. His favourite biscuits…

“Yes please.” he answered.

She made tea and handed him a mug and a jammy dodger.

They made polite conversation about the weather while drinking their tea.

“You look like you needed it.” she said with kindly after he finished his tea and a jammy dodger.

Martin stuttered an apology

“Don’t worry about it” she said with the same kind smile.

 

Martin carried her stuff to his van while she made notes in a file.

“Curious?” she asked after Martin had been staring at her for a full minute.

“Sorry I’m almost done.” he quickly said and picked up the last box

She seemed amused but didn’t say anything. He put the last box in his van. When he walked back inside he wiped the sweat of his forehead. She smiled “another jammy dodger Martin? Can I call you Martin?”

“Uh sure.”

“I’m Kate. Another biscuit? Or would you like a sandwich? I’m afraid I packed too many for myself.” she offered him a homemade ham sandwich wrapped in Clingfilm. He doubted.

She shrugged “it’ll end up in the bin otherwise.”

Martin took the sandwich “thank you.”

“So what’s on your mind then?”

He didn’t know what made him trust Kate, but before he could stop himself he had started talking.

“A friend of mine says I may have autism. But that can’t be because I talk and everything”

“Why does that bug you then?” Kate asked him curiously, she didn’t mock him with it. He relaxed a little and continued talking.

“Well what if he’s right? I mean I once learned a 600 page textbook so I’d pass a test and I am socially not the best. Oh dear I’m never getting more jobs if I keep talking like this.”

“Martin, calm down.” her voice was clear but kind “its fine.” she walked over to her desk and took out a book “read this. Since you’re driving my stuff to my new office you’ll know where to return it when you’ve finished.”

Martin took the book and looked at the cover. On it was a boy with closed eyes. On top of it in black letters there was written ‘look me in the eye, my life with Asperger’s’

“Asperger’s?” Martin tried the word.

“Yes.” she answered.

“It’s called Asperger’s syndrome and it does fit what you’re telling me.”

“Oh.”

Martin walked to his van and safely put the book away.

“I’ll see you at the address?” she asked.

Martin nodded and drove off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> personally I don't think a psychologist would do this, but there's a chance that someone out there would and also artistic freedom.
> 
> i would love to hear what you like about my fic, but please keep to "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." comments that don't keep to this will be deleted.


	4. CDG - Charles de Gaulle - Paris

He had meant to have a good night sleep, but once he started reading he had completely forgotten. He sat in his favourite spot and read the book. The more he read the happier he felt. He wasn’t alone in how he felt. Other people were like this too. He wasn’t a freak, just different. The emotions were all a bit too much and he fell asleep exhausted. He didn't wake up until Douglas called him on his phone the next afternoon. Half asleep he answered it.

“Martin Crieff?”

“Martin! You’re supposed to be outside ten minutes ago! Where are you?”

That woke him up.

“He what? You would pick me up at three pm.”

“It is ten past three Martin”

“He what?” he looked at his clock. Shit. Douglas was right. He’d slept all morning.

“Ten past three” Douglas reminded him.

“I’ll be out in a few minutes”

It was a good thing he put his stuff ready so he only needed to dress. Five minutes later he rushed out the door, his hair not as neat as it usually was.

“Afternoon Captain” Douglas greeted him cheerily “or should I say morning?”

Martin grunted a bit in reply and put the book in his bag.

“Must have been a late night then. Have you been out?”

“Good book” Martin told him and rubbed his eyes. Douglas started driving and left with his thoughts. They had plenty of time on their flight to talk.

Martin had been quiet most of the flight. It was a cargo flight to Paris and Arthur wasn’t even on it so it was just the two of them. Douglas talked about a new game he’d been playing at the pub and how much money he won. Martin wasn’t if it was legal but didn’t much care. He was thinking about what he read.

“You’re quiet.” Douglas observed.

“Yeah.” Martin agreed.

“You let me take off and now you’re agreeing with me, what is wrong with you?”

“Just thinking.”

“About what?”

“Stuff.”

“Just tell me Martin.”

“No.”

“I’ll get it out of you eventually.”

Martin just shrugged and started on some checks. Douglas let his captain. He figured there would be enough time on the way back for him to figure it out, besides he had some things to do in Paris.

 

“Post take-off checks complete” Douglas told him.  

Before Martin could do anything Douglas had grabbed Martin's bag and opened it outside of his reach.

“Douglas stop!” Martin said, trying and failing to put authority in his voice.

“Oh but I’m so interested what’s on your mind and I bet that book you were reading earlier has something to do with it.”

“Douglas please.” Martin sounded upset. That made Douglas hesitate for a second.

“Just stop.” he pleaded.

This caught Douglas attention. It must really be bothering Martin. He put the bag down and turned to Martin, who was still flying the plane.

“Tell me.”

“I hate that you do this!” Martin seemed near crying.

“You bully me and bully me and then you pretend to be nice just so you can find more things to bully me with!”

Douglas’ face fell. He was shocked.

“Martin” Douglas’ voice was quiet and soft.

“Just stop it!”

“Martin. I didn’t know. I was just teasing you.”

Martin leaned back into the chair a little “you were right.”

“What? About what.”

“Autism. There’s something called Asperger’s syndrome. There’s a high probability that I have it.”

“Martin I was just teasing you. You know I’d never knowingly hurt you.” he sounded sincere. Martin doubted.

“Martin please. I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were that hurt by the things I say.”

“You’re lying” Martin tried to convince himself.

Douglas actually looked upset when Martin said that.

“Martin please” he tried again “I’m not lying. I never wanted to hurt you… you’re my friend.”

Martin stared at Douglas. He didn’t really have friends. Not in his mind anyway.

“You see me as a friend?”

“Yeah. But apparently I’m not being a good one. I should have seen…”

“No one sees me as a friend. Not really.”

“Don’t say that Martin.” Douglas’ voice was quiet and shocked. “There’s me and Arthur and the actor Martin.”

Martin turned silent. He was trying and failing to come up with a response. His hands were shaking a little.

“Martin…” Douglas tried carefully “why don’t you let me fly for a bit and you can relax for a moment.”

If it wasn’t for the genuine worry in Douglas’ voice Martin would have protested.

“Alright.” Martin said in a quiet voice and after Douglas had taken the controls he got up “I’m going to get some tea.” he told Douglas and after a moment of doubt added

“You want a cup as well?”

Douglas smiled “yes please Martin.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a small epilogue will be up soon.


	5. epilogue: Croydon Airport Visitors’ Centre

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> slight canon divergence in the epilogue. I felt like I needed a nice happy ending after all the horrid stuff that happened to martin.

“Douglas?” asked Martin quietly “could we make a detour?”

They had just driven away from Martin's house and were on their way to the Croydon Airport Visitors’ Centre.

“Sure” Douglas said “where to?”

Martin named the address. He could still hardly believe Douglas had suggested going to Croydon together.

Ten minutes later they pulled up to Kate’s new office.

“I won’t be long.” Martin said as he took the borrowed book out of his bag and opened the door.

“I’ll be here.”

Martin got out of the car and walked up to the door. He was just going to drop it in the mailbox but just then Kate walked around the corner. She smiled as she saw him

“Martin. Good to see you.”

“I’ve come to return the book.” Martin said as he held the book out.

“Was it helpful?” she enquired.

“It was very helpful, thank you.”

“I’m glad. Would you like to come in for a cup of tea? I have jammy dodgers.”

“I’m actually going to do something fun with a friend, sorry.”

“We could go for a drink sometime?” She suggested.

Martin blushed and looked down “Well, uh… actually, uh, I’m gay.”

Just then Douglas had opened the car door and the first words of the conversation he heard were Martin's words ‘I’m gay’.

Kate chuckled softly “we could just go for a drink as friends?”

“I’d like that.” He said with a shy smile.

“Text me then?” Kate suggested. Martin nodded and turned to see Douglas looking absolutely stunned.

“You’re gay?” Douglas asked with a shocked face.

Martin nodded, his head quickly going red.

Kate chuckled a little “I’ll see you soon then Martin.” And she went inside.

Martin walked back to the car “Yeah I’m gay.”

“But...” Douglas protested “you were flirting with girls and…”

Martin got into the car “I always thought I was supposed to.” He admitted.

“Oh.” Douglas didn’t really know what to say and sat behind the wheel, silent.

“Are we still going to Croydon?” Martin asked.

“Oh yes we are.” Douglas answered with a cheeky grin and started the car.

 

**Author's Note:**

> i would love to hear what you like about my fic, but please keep to "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." comments that don't keep to this will be deleted.


End file.
